January 5, 2015
Part biography, part history, and part analysis of Chinese current affairs, this remarkable book from Schuman (The Miracle: The Epic Story of Asia’s Quest for Wealth), a Hong Kong–based correspondent for Time, traces the lasting influence of Confucianism in China, despite enormous political and social changes in Chinese society. Though little is known about the life of Confucius (ca. 551–479 BCE), we have his teachings, The Analects, a collection of his sayings gathered and edited by his disciples more than 200 years after his death. At the heart of Confucianism lies a well-regulated hierarchy in which each party—ruler and servant, parent and child, elder and younger—plays a specific role in honoring the other in the relationship. As Schuman points out, the philosophy that provided order in Chinese culture found itself threatened in the 18th century by foreign governments and technologies, as Chinese rulers sought to find a more politically savvy way to succeed in world affairs. By the 19th century, Chinese leaders embraced of Confucianism as an ethical system that produced leaders who would work for the common good. Schuman also explores how Confucian teachings continue to influence family life, education, and gender roles, optimistically concluding that it can offer an alternative to autocratic suppression. Agent: Michelle Tessler, Tessler Literary Agency.